Newsletter of the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

January 29, 2016February 2, 2016

Leanne Guy, new Secretary for NIWRC Board of Directors

Leanne Guy has been married to her high school sweetheart for 26 years. Together they have five children and two granddaughters. Guy is an advocate for social change and justice and is passionate about the work to end violence against Native women and children. Growing up in a violent home and being a survivor of bullying, she is aware of the impact that violence can have on families and the importance of having coordinated and informed systems in place that provide advocacy, support and justice for the safety of women and children.

Guy is the founding executive director of the Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition, the first statewide tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalition in Arizona. Prior to her current position, she was the executive director of the Ama Doo Alchini Bighan, Inc., a nonprofit, community-based domestic violence and sexual assault services program located on the Diné Nation. Through this work, she has been a member of numerous national, state and local task forces, committees and coalitions dedicated to ending violence against women and children. She has also worked for the Indian Health Service and other nonprofit agencies in the area of women’s health, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

Leanne represents Region 6 for NIWRC

Guy has over 15 years of experience in tribal community health promotion and public health and safety initiatives. One of the many blessings she has received in working with tribes is getting to know the people—hearing their stories, observing their customs, seeing their land and sharing their food. In her spare time she enjoys writing, reading, traveling, making jewelry, sewing, being active and spending time with her family. She has always known that her work would be in helping Native American people, so to be immersed in the movement to end violence against Native women and children is a blessing and honor.